Control
by Prinplupish
Summary: Training isn't a skill you simply learn and excel at. One cannot control their skill with simple knowledge. Those who try are maddened by their own thirst for perfection. That is the case with this girl. This is how she destroys the world – and herself.
1. Prologue

It was that time of year again.

The time of year when I hunkered down with a notebook and pen, stood in front of my window, and watched young trainers pass by the town with their new Pokémon. I would sit there for hours and describe the people I saw in the best detail I could muster, giving them my own names and memorizing them completely. It may seem like I was creeping on little kids, but I was actually doing _research._

I had grown up depending on facts. I needed facts to function, to make decisions. I was never that "gut feeling" type of person. I needed to completely know what I was doing, how I would do it, and how it could affect me. And to know all of that, I needed to do research. My whole life I felt like I needed to take control of my life.

I was trying to perfectly plan out the one thing I probably couldn't control: My very first Pokémon Journey. It was frustrating, trying to figure out how I would travel and what I would do. It was seemingly impossible to make up the perfect journey, but that was what drove me the most. I was going to perfect it, no matter what. And I've been trying to do that for three years now. But that wasn't going to stop my stubborn self.

My stubbornness was why I was sitting on my bed cross-legged right now, tying up my plain brown hair into a messy bun and slaving over my notebook, oblivious to the rest of the world. I was going over some notes I had taken on this one trainer that I had seen a while back, recognizing him on television today. I read the notes over furiously, wrinkling my nose to keep my glasses on. It wasn't until I reached the end of his profile that I sighed and fell back.

How had that kid managed to do so well he ended up on television? What was it about a person that made them a good trainer? How could I fit those traits?

I let out a loud groan and rolled to my left, letting my head bob off the side of my bed. I stared down at the light beige carpet in my room and sighed, slumping my head down until the bun I had made undid itself and my hair tumbled down and brushed the ground. I lay in silence for what seemed like an eternity until I heard a light knock on the door, and a familiar soft voice sound through the wooden barrier.

"Can I come in, honey?"

I raised my head quickly and forced myself into a sitting position, reaching out for my notebook.

"Come in," I called, shutting the notebook quickly as my mother came in. Her green eyes were as bright as always and she had that same old kind smile on her face, as if assuring me I wasn't in any kind of trouble. My mother usually stayed out of my room unless I had done something wrong.

She only stood by the door, tilting her head in a manner that showed her suspicions. I knew she was worried about me this time of year. I _did_ spend most of the day holed up in my room. It made perfect sense, but I still stayed in.

"Did you want to come outside with me for a while?" She looked over at me with hopeful eyes, the kind that brought a slight pang to my stomach. "We barely spend any time together these days…"

"I'm a little busy," I said quickly, before I regretted it. "I promised myself I wouldn't leave the house until I finished up this… project."

"Oh, okay," she said with a nod, "Try not to work yourself too hard." She turned around, making to leave, before turning her head to look back at me and sighing.

"Listen, hon…"

My mother walked back in, coming closer to me and sitting on the edge of my bed. I looked up at her silently, pushing up my glasses to show I was listening.

"Haven't you considered training Pokémon yet?" she asked, putting a hand on my lap. "I know you've never been the athletic type, or anything. But… I'm sure you'd make a great trainer. If you at least had some ambition, I would-"

"Just how could I be a good trainer?" I asked plainly. There was no sense of defiance or skepticism in my question; I was only asking.

"Well, you're a smart girl," she said with a small smile, "I think that's a pretty important quality in a trainer."

"… Is that all I need?" I muttered, "I only need smarts?"

"No, there's more to it. But-"

"What else do I need? How can I be a good trainer?"

"Well, you… have to try it, and see if you're good. I guess…"

I frowned, and crossed my arms. "I can't believe that's all there is to it."

My mother shrugged, and moved her hand onto my head, ruffling my hair slightly with a grin. "Well, you never know if you don't try, right?"

And with that, she stood up and left, shutting the door softly.

My shoulders slumped and I looked away from the door, refusing to give in to her words.

There was more to it than that. There must be some kind of method behind being a good trainer. I wasn't going to go anywhere until I figured out what that method was.

I forced myself to cling to that chance at perfection. I wanted to be a _perfect, amazing_ trainer. I knew I could be if I figured out how to be good. I would figure it out… Or so I thought at that time.

Because it turned out that I did _not _figure out the secret behind training and I ended up going on my journey _without_ any knowledge of the world around me. I had _no_ control of my journey ahead and I hated that.

And I was most certainly _not_ an amazing trainer.

It had been that time of year once again when I was forced on a journey. Instead of hunkering down with a notebook and watching the arising trainers pass I was one of those trainers.

This is where my journey _really_ begins.


	2. Wander

"So, um… Just what is that thing?"

My mother laughed, pushing the little pink plant-like thing into my arms. "A Hoppip, kiddo," she said with an amused smile. "I would've thought you knew."

I didn't respond, silently taking the wriggling Pokémon from her arms. I looked down at it with a small frown, feeling my nose tickle slightly. I wrinkled my nose, taking in a deep breath…

And I sneezed.

"Ugh…" I wiped my nose, letting go of the small Pokémon immediately. It hopped gracefully to the ground and shot me an angry look before sticking his tongue out at me and hopping away.

"Mom, I allergic to it," I complained, sniffing. My mother only laughed loudly and patted my shoulder.

"I wish you luck, then," she said simply before walking off towards the kitchen.

I watched her go off exasperatedly, biting the inside of my cheek. "What am I supposed to do now?" I called, my voice weak.

"You have your things ready!" I heard her call. "Just go ahead! Have fun!"

I stared at the ceiling blankly, a part of me wanting to drop to the ground and roll around in frustration. I wasn't ready at _all_. A week after that little talk I had with my mother, she found out about my plan to perfect my training. She tried convincing me that wasn't possible, but I had refused to listen or give in. A bit later, she spun up some crazy plan to get me to travel around, an offer she made sure I couldn't resist. She claimed that she had a friend in Solaceon Town that could teach me all there is to know about Pokémon. I had assumed she was bluffing, but it couldn't hurt to try – even if it probably would.

My mother's ideas were just as stupid as my Pokémon, which was now sniffing my shoes curiously. I picked Hoppip up from its green sprouts and whirled it over my shoulder, hearing it cry out angrily. I ignored its cries and made my way to my room, grabbing the bag my mother had packed me and heading for the door. I was just getting there, however, when Hoppip wriggled out of my grasp and latched itself onto my face. I tumbled back, letting out a few loud sneezes, and fell with a small thud. Hoppip laughed and started to run away, until I reached out just in time to grab onto its sprouts once again and pull him back. I stood up again and dangled Hoppip in front of my face, giving it the sternest look I could manage.

"You're coming with me whether you like it or not," I said firmly, poking the struggling Pokémon on the forehead with a finger. Hoppip let out an annoyed breath and looked away, nodding slightly. I took that gesture as a yes and dropped Hoppip to the ground.

And with that settled, we left home.

._._.

After leaving my home and heading out into nature, which I disliked as is, I started to realize something.

I had _no idea_ where I was going.

In fact, the only thing I knew location-wise was that I was in Sinnoh, and I had just left Sandgem Town. That was basically it. I also knew that the next town was due north, whatever that town was. I wasn't even sure I was going north.

I looked around at my surroundings. Trees and tall grass. That's all I saw.

I sighed and crashed to the ground.

"Let's take a break," I muttered to Hoppip, who reluctantly nodded and hopped onto my head. I let out a loud breath, holding my node to keep a sneeze in. I was pretty sure Hoppip only stayed so close because I was allergic her – or whatever it was. Its voice was pretty feminine, so I decided to stick with "her".

"So," I began, feeling awkward for talking to a Pokémon. I knew I would have to deal with it, but still. "… Would you mind doing a bit of training with me?"

"Hop?" she asked, looking at me with wide, yellow eyes.

I sighed, and covered my face with my hands. I noticed that everything Hoppip said was a question. She was either playing with my mind, or very stupid. I was starting to think it was both.

I stood up and nodded to myself, feeling Hoppip tighten her hold on my head.

"Let's get to it, then," I said in the brightest tone I could manage, making my way to a close patch of tall grass. I was steeping foot into its leafy depths when a relatively strong breeze swept across the field and took my Hoppip with it. I blinked, watching Hoppip fly away with a loud shriek. It took me a second to react, and sheepishly ran after the thing. Hoppip looked terrified, rising higher into the air, and I could only watch in slight despair as she flew over the trees and out of sight.

I got the strangest feeling that this would be happening a lot.

._._.

After a few minutes of searching, I concluded that Hoppip was gone and I could never get her back.

_'A shame, but I can live with it…'_

I turned around and tried finding the path I had gone in when I heard a shrill scream that sounded a lot like Hoppip. I pursed my lips in annoyance but ran in the direction of the shout. It didn't take long for me to spot the bright pink ball that was Hoppip, who was on the head of a confused-looking blond girl. I let out a sigh, weary of having to talk to another person, but made my way to them. When the girl caught sight of me her eyes brightened and she grinned.

"So, I'm guessing the thing on my head is yours?" she asked loudly as I approached her. Hoppip looked relieved to see me and jumped onto my head in a single jump.

I only nodded as she gasped loudly and stared in awe at Hoppip. I could obviously see this girl was a newbie, or something. Who else could get so excited over a stupid Pokémon?

"Wow, I've never seen a Hoppip in the flesh before," she said fondly, beaming up at my Pokémon. Hoppip shot her an open grin and shuffled on my head, causing me to sneeze.

"Yup, she's quite a gem," I muttered, wishing I could just throw the annoying little thing onto the ground. The longer I felt her warmth on my head the more annoyed – and stuffy – I grew.

"So, what's her name?" I loved how she didn't ask for my name first.

"I haven't thought of one yet," I mused, shrugging. The girl looked surprised.

"But Hoppip must be really easy to name! How about something like Hop or Skip?"

"Uh, no."

"… Jubilee? Fluff?"

"… Nope."

"Trill, Glide?"

"… No."

The girl let out a large groan. "You're making this difficult. What ideas do you have?"

"Hoppip doesn't need a nickname," I said simply, starting to walk off. "And I don't need help from strangers. See you."

"Hey, you can't just leave without a formal battle!" she called angrily. "That's not how a real trainer acts!"

At that, I turned around and shot her a glare. I didn't need to know that. It only reminded me of how unprepared I was. I decide right then that I would beat this girl's Pokémon right here and now just so she could shut the hell up.

"Alright," I said flatly. "Let's get this over with."

The girl scoffed. "You sure aren't much of a trainer if you're not excited," she said pointedly. "You won't be able to beat me or anyone like that. Ever."

I only glared at her and placed Hoppip on the ground.

At that moment, I decided that I hated trainers. Especially happy-go-lucky-ones like her.

That would make it a bit more satisfying when I defeated every one of them.


	3. Resolution

_A/N (Oct. 10, 2011):_

_Hiya, guys! I don't like wrting these thingies, but I just wanted to thank everyone whose reviewed so far. It means a lot. _

_I also wanted to ask: Would any one of my readers be interested in sending me an original character, if they're good at it? I really don't want to take it from just anyone, but I'd like to get some ideas from my readers. I know a plot hasn't opened up so far, and I want to get a few characters I can use before that conflict really begins. If anyone can help, let me know! _

_Now, onto the story!_

* * *

><p>Immediately, the girl reached for her bag and pulled out a shiny Great Ball, flashing me a sarcastically apologetic smile.<p>

"I wish your Hoppip good luck going against my partner!" she boasted, shrugging her bag off her shoulder. She threw the ball and called out her Pokémon.

"Go, Jay!"

I scoffed at her Pokémon. A Nosepass. It was a rock-type, so I had the obvious advantage.

She must've read my expression, because she shook her head at me. "Don't assume you've won yet!" she shouted. "Nosepass! Use your Tackle attack!"

"Dodge!" I called to Hoppip.

Another perk to fighting against a rock-type; they moved very slowly. From what I could see, Hoppip were really agile and fast, so when Nosepass charged at Hoppip she dodged it easily, in one bound.

I smirked in satisfaction. "Now, use…" I paused, thinking it over. What could Hoppip use, anyways? I had no idea, but I kept my cool and shot Hoppip a look that said "do whatever you have to do!"

"Uh, use your special attack!" I shouted, to keep myself from looking like an idiot. I may as well have not said anything, because Hoppip did something that hurt my pride so much nothing could fix it.

She used _Splash_.

I could only watch in pure horror as Hoppip started to flail around, nothing happening _at all_. My opponent burst into a laughing fit, clutching her sides from how hard she was laughing. I stared at the ground with narrowed eyes, trying to hide my reddening face.

"Don't laugh!" I said exasperatedly, crossing my arms to keep myself from majorly facepalming. The girl ignored me, but her laughs did calm down until she was only breathing heavily.

"A-Are you serious?" she said shakily, grinning from ear to ear. "Splash is her 'special move'?"

I refused to look at her; I wished more than anything to turn invisible and run far away, and forget any of this ever happened.

It was silent between us for a while, her staring at Hoppip and I with a huge grin and me staring at Hoppip darkly, cursing how happy she looked right now.

"Hoppip," I began slowly, deciding to be patient at a time like this, "Can you by chance, know any other moves?"

Hoppip looked back at me with the most sinister grin anyone has ever given me. "Hop…?" she shook her head, and made her way back to my side. "Hop!" she squealed brightly, jumping onto my head.

"Guess this battle is over," my opponent said with a shrug. "I won!"

"What? No, you didn't," I sputtered, looking at her angrily. "It's a draw! Your move didn't even _hit_ Hoppip!"

"Neither did yours," she sang mockingly, picking up her bag. "Now, hand over the cash!"

"I'm not giving you my money!" I shouted defiantly. I felt a sneeze come on, and paused to do so. "If neither of us got a hit in, it's a draw!"

"But your Hoppip is the one who can't continue to battle," she pointed out. I tightened my fists and grounded my teeth together in agitation. She got me there.

With a shaky sigh, I calmed myself down and handed her a few bills, shoving them into her outstretched hand roughly. She didn't seem to mind, because she smiled at me.

"Better luck next time, though," she chirped, "I'm sure you're just not ready yet! After all, people don't usually win their first battles…"

"It was a draw, I muttered, and turned away. Hoppip snickered, reaching down to tickle my nose with her stubby arm. I sneezed loudly, and slapped her arm away, starting to walk away.

"Ah, hold on!" the girl called. "My name's Cassidy, but people just call me Cass! And you are?"

"Leaving," I said bitterly, "And very annoyed, so leave me alone."

I didn't wait to hear a response from her, and walked off quickly. I could only scowl at the ground my feet were shuffling through. My thoughts weren't connecting at that moment.

Why did I have to get stuck with such a horrible Pokémon? I was already bent on becoming the greatest, perfect trainer. It was only natural that my Pokémon should be the same. A Hoppip that only knew Splash was not perfect – or _good_, really – and losing my first battle so pathetically, or losing at all, sure as hell didn't make me a perfect trainer, either.

I glanced up at the setting sun, letting out a long breath.

I would just have to fix that.

._._.

I spent the next few days or so travelling around, trying to teach my Hoppip a new moves. I probably spent hours pushing her into every wild Pokémon we encountered, encouraging her to use any type of move she could manage. All that she could manage was Splash, and the occasional Tackle, if she was feeling up to it. You could only imagine how many wild Pokémon we had run away from. But at least we were gaining stamina and speed, right? The first two days I was completely committed to having Hoppip learn a strong move. I only needed her to learn _one_, just one, and we could leave the route. I had already figured out the way to the next town, but I refused to make our way out until we made some progress. That goal, however, was slowly losing its importance, and within a week I had given up and started to travel to the next town – whatever it was called.

One night, when I was pretty sure we would make it out of the route by morning, we ran into a new trainer. Much to my relief, the guy didn't want a battle at all. I had passed by him in the darkness, seeing him nestled in the grass with a Pichu on his lap. He awoke once I approached him and looked at me with cloudy eyes, calling out to me before I could get away.

"Girl," he said quietly, "Do you want to hear a story?"

I froze in place, feeling my heart speed up. About fifty-five percent of my brain was shouting "Get away! This guy's a rapist-creeper-molester!" But the other part told me to calm the hell down and regard the man seriously. I did just that – albeit reluctantly – and even managed a strained smile.

"Sure, why not?" I muttered. The boy stayed curled into the grass, and gave a small, creepy smile.

"Well, then. What if I told you that I have met one of the legendary lake guardians?"

"Uh, what? What are you talking about?"

"The lake guardians? You haven't heard of them?" He let out a small sigh, and sat up. "You're quite an ignorant girl then, no? The legendary lake guardians: Azelf, Mespirit, and Uxie… Azelf is the being of Willpower, Mespirit is Emotion, and Uxie is the being of Knowledge. The three were created by Arceus to watch over Sinnoh, you know… Anyways, I met Mespirit after visiting the lake nearby, close to Twinleaf Town?"

I nodded, remembering the place. I had gone there plenty of times with my mother to go fishing. I didn't know a legendary Pokémon lived there…

"Anyways, I saw Mespirit in its real form," he continued, his eyes shutting, "It was… fantastic. It's a very beautiful Pokémon, you know… If only people believed me…"

I nodded, but it was more to myself than to him. Sure, the story seemed pretty farfetched, and his creepy appearance and dirty clothes didn't help, but I couldn't help but wonder. They were the very essence of Emotion, Willpower, and Knowledge? They sounded strong… and I couldn't help but wonder about Uxie, the Knowledge one.

The buy's eyes shut within the minute and his breathing slowed. He was asleep again. I looked down at him for second before turning on my heel and walking in the direction I was going. Hoppip jumped onto my head when I started to walk again and curled into a ball, quickly falling asleep. As I walked through the darkness, dragging my feet on the ground tiredly, I thought over what I had just heard. Azelf, Mespirit, and Uxie… I was going to learn a bit more about them.

Afterwards, I was going to _catch_ them.


	4. Opportunity

Once I reached the next town – Jubilife City, according to the signs – I headed for the Pokémon Center. I knew I wasn't going to find a room there since it was barely dawn anyways, but I went ahead and got my Pokémon healed.

The only problem? Hoppip didn't have a Pokéball.

"It's fine, don't worry about it," Nurse Joy assured me when I tried apologizing, "We'll just get him in a _new_ Pokéball, free of charge."

"… Uh, he?" I looked down at Hoppip, who was climbing onto Joy's head, with a thoughtful expression. He was probably the most un-masculine Pokémon I've ever encountered, but… Whatever. I wasn't worried about trivial things like gender.

I quickly thanked Nurse Joy and headed to a cushy seat in a corner. I sat down and leaned my head against the wall, shutting my eyes. I figured I may as well get some rest before it got bright out, and fell asleep quickly.

._._.

It was shaken awake by Nurse Joy, who was holding a glimmering new Pokéball out towards me. I snapped back to consciousness quickly and reached for the Pokéball, stuffing it into my pocket and shutting my eyes in a yawn. After getting up and stretching my aching muscles a bit, I walked out of the Pokémon Center and made to look for the nearest café. I was stopped by a few trainers who wanted a battle but I refused all of them, claiming to be tired. I was tired, but I also didn't want that last battle to be replayed. I didn't want to break my pride any more than it already was.

After hitting a café and spending the rest of my money on the cheapest thing I could find (Thankfully, Hoppip only relied on photosynthesis for energy, so I didn't have to waste any more money on that.), I wandered around town until I found the place I was searching for – The Pokémon Training School.

Went I walked in, I was almost tackled down by a horde of trainers, all enthusiastic for a battle. I ignored them all and headed for the bookshelves, and started to look around. I searched for who knows how long for that book about the legendary trio. I couldn't find it _anywhere_. All I did find was useless info on type matchups and statuses. Most of it, much to my horror, was ridiculously bright picture books on Pokémon training.

That's what I got for leaving for a journey at thirteen. It was like they fitted all of this for little ten-year-old's vocabulary.

Soon enough, I gave up and made to walk out.

Until something caught my eye.

My eyes fell on a kid who was shaking a girl's hand, both smiling brightly.

"I can't believe you beat us both so easily!" she said enthusiastically, "Talk to my friend over there – He'll give you a free TM since you won!"

I could feel my jaw drop slightly. A real TM that taught Pokémon moves? And all you had to do was beat two little runts? That would solve all of my problems! All I had to do was teach it to Hoppip, and he would instantly have an actual useable move! I let out a determined breath and walked up to them, trying to look as tough as possible.

"So, you're offering a free TM if someone can beat you?"

The girl nodded, her brown pigtails bobbing madly. "Yup. It's Hidden Power. Almost any Pokémon can learn the move. Except for Magikarp… I think."

"Mind if I battle you?" I asked quickly, pushing up my glasses.

The girl stared up at me for a few second before nodding brightly. "Sure," she said with a welcoming smile, "but I have to heal my Abra. Can you come back tomorrow?"

For a second, I considered telling the girl off bluntly, but I realized I wasn't ready at all, either. I nodded once and turned on my heel to leave.

As I was walking out, I thought about what how I could win the battle. I knew already that Hoppip couldn't attack at all; that was why I was battling her in the first place. I pursed my lips for a second, and decided I would just have to catch a stronger Pokémon. With a slightly more positive mood, I headed towards the nearest route. And as expected, my good mood turned dark pretty quickly as a new thought dawned on me.

I had to weaken a Pokémon before attacking them. I couldn't do that. I also needed a Pokéball, and I didn't have the _money_ for that.

I let out my biggest sigh yet and released Hoppip.

I'd just have to make do with what I had.

._._.

I slowly edged around the tall grass, peering into its depths and trying to spot some kind of Pokémon I could use that wasn't too weak – or strong either, considering the plan I had hatched on my way here. Hoppip rested on my head, sleeping soundly. _He_ obviously wouldn't be of use to me at all.

It had been a few minutes later when I came across a small little ball of fuzz sleeping under a tree. The little thing was curled into a ball and looked like it would wake up at all. I quickly approached it, keeping my steps light, and looked down at it.

"Well," I whispered to Hoppip, "at least it's already asleep…"

As soon as I said, Hoppip rushed forward and started hopping on the apparent Pokémon, letting out a squeak. I looked at the sky in impatience, and braced myself for the next thing that happened.

Which – surprisingly – was nothing…

The Pokémon didn't move an inch. I let out a long breath in relief, and reached for Hoppip's Pokéball.

'Well, at least I don't have to go through with the plan…' I thought in relief.

Of course, once I thought that my bad luck came into play and the Pokémon's eyes fled open. Hoppip returned to my side and jumped onto my head once again, smiling darkly.

I guess I _did _have to go through with the plan.


	5. Addition

I stepped back a few paces, staring straight down at the brown Pokémon in front of me. He was staring back at me, making no move to attack but keeping its round ears perked. Hoppip let out a low hum, shuddering slightly. I pursed my lips. Was he trying to send me some kind of warning?

I didn't have time to think about it. The small Pokémon had jumped slightly and started to run off. That was my chance to do something.

"Go, Hoppip!" I shouted! "Jump up and use Splash!"

So I had to make use of Hoppip in _some_ way. I figured aimlessly flopping around had to be of some use since it involved movement. I was actually right, too. Hoppip took action right away and flew into the air, landing straight onto the wild Pokémon and making its knees buckle. Hoppip wasn't very light at all, so I could only infer that its physical attacks were complete crap. But, I had make use of what I had.

The wild Pokémon let out a slight cry under Hoppip's weight, but tumbled away from Hoppip after jerking him off of its back. Hoppip jumped up once he hit the ground and landed on his opponent once again, flopping around on top of its struggling body.

I took that opportunity to take Hoppip's Pokéball and toss it in their direction. Hoppip jumped out of the way just as the Pokéball hit the target and lured it inside with a bright red flash. I watched tensely with clenched hands as the Pokéball shook once, twice…

And opened back up.

I let out a loud groan as the wild Pokéball stuck its tongue out at me and ran off, disappearing into the tall grass. I didn't even pause to think about it; I started to run to run after it, picking up the broken Pokéball in the process. I'm sure I could fix it with duct tape, or something.

Hoppip followed close behind as I followed the brown creature through the tall stalks of greenery, with much difficulty. The farther we went into the grass the harder it was for me to track it down. It wasn't until we passed a clearing in the grass that I got a good view of the Pokémon and dived for it. Hoppip jumped on the Pokémon's head as I struggled to pin its squirming body down. For such a small thing, it sure was strong. I stayed on top of the thing until it calmed down and accepted defeat. I smirked smugly to myself and picked up the Pokémon, holding it tightly in my arms. Without missing a beat, I shot Hoppip a look and he hopped back onto his usual spot on my head, and we made our way through the flowery green road just as the sunlight began to dim.

I was pretty sure I broke a bunch of training rules after that little scene. But hey, I was slowly beginning to realize there were no rules when it came to training.

Or at least, there were no _restrictions_.

"Eeek! WRUMPLE!"

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked over at the river to my left to see a little girl wailing on her knees, covering her face. A woman crossed her arms above her, shaking her head.

"Ah, you'll get over it, Polly," she said coldly, and took her arm. "Let's go. Now."

"N-no!" Polly wailed, "YOU _HAVE _TO GET MY WRUMPLE!"

I winced slightly and kept walking, hoping to get away before they noticed me. I walked past them quickly but the girl noticed me and started to cry even harder.

"Hey, l-l-lad!" she shouted frantically, "Please, can you help me fetch my Wrumple from the river? I-I, can't swim, and if he stays in there to long he could… WAAAH!" She burst into tears again, and I sighed loudly.

"Tell your mom to get him, all right?" I said impatiently, beginning to walk again. "I'm busy. Can't help you, anyways."

"She's not my mommy!" she said quickly, ignoring the woman's glare. "She-she threw my Pokémon into the river and won't leave me alone!"

The woman let out a low chuckle. "Oh, don't mind my daughter," the woman told me with an eerily bright smile, "She's quite a feisty girl, you know?" she then turned to Polly and took her arm, pulling her off of her knees.

"Now, Polly, let's go," she said through clenched teeth. "We'll get you a new Pokémon."

"My name's NOT Polly!" the girl shouted. "Leave m-me alone!"

"I stared at them with wide eyes, unable to go anywhere. The woman shot me a dark glare and waved me away.

"Well, what are you still doing here?" she asked harshly, "Go away, nothing to see here."

I backed away a few steps before walking back to the main path.

I knew I would regret not doing anything about it later on, but it wasn't like I could do anything. It was strictly none of my business. With a shake of my head, I cleared my mind of all worries and ran back to town as the sky began to darken completely.

._._.

About an hour later I was back at the Pokémon Center and walking up to Nurse Joy, who watched me with pursed lips as I approached her. I only smiled sheepishly as I handed her the sleeping Pokémon in my arms. She chuckled slightly and took it from me, promising to give my new teammate a Pokéball by the time I picked it up. She then told me that the Pokémon I had caught was a Bidoof; a female that was relatively young. She also handed me – much to my surprise – a Key Card.

"You look tired beyond words," the pink-haired woman said with a wink, "You go ahead and rest up; we'll have Bidoof ready for you in the morning. Rest well!"

I thanked her with a slight nod and went to the room indicated on the Key Card. As I walked there, I thought about my newly captured Bidoof. It was too soon to say so, but I hoped we would get along well. After she forgot about today, of course. Truthfully, though, I didn't care. As long as the thing could win the battle I had tomorrow I was okay. Once I got to my room and unlocked the door I set Hoppip down on the small couch near the television and went right to bed, clothes and all.

Tomorrow was going to be a _long_ day.


End file.
